Arash is the CEO and co-founder of Kara Technologies, creating AI-powered realistic avatars to deliver content in sign language. He was inspired to co-found Kara after losing half of his hearing. He overcame his dyslexia to complete a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Auckland and was recently accepted into the Stanford Ignite programme. Currently NZ based, all 3 co-founders are EHF Fellows and are originally from Iran.

Bassma Ali

Co-founded G-Gateway, creating high value jobs for young, female IT graduates in the Gaza strip. They have recently secured $3 million from the World Bank to turn ­GGateway into a regional hub for the digital economy. Previously led high impact ICT initiatives at the United Nation Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Time Magazine’s “Next Generation Leaders” 2018.

Farmehr is the CTO and co-founder of Kara Technologies, creating AI-powered realistic avatars to deliver content in sign language. Currently NZ based, all 3 co-founders are EHF Fellows and are originally from Iran.

General Partner at Sea Lane Ventures, a scientist, entrepreneur, and investor building companies that transform the world for the betterment of humanity. Invested globally at the Gates Foundation with $1.5B global investment portfolio and created a $200M early stage program for innovation. Creator of the inhaled tuberculosis vaccine. PhD from Harvard in Engineering and BSc in both Biology and Chemical Engineering from MIT.

Lisa King

Founded Eat My Lunch, working to ensure every kiwi school child has lunch, with 2,750 children fed every day.

Eric Dozier

Eric Dozier is a cultural activist who uses music to engage communities in dialogue about racism. Over the past 40 years he has been making his way across the planet creating little pockets of world peace while sharing traditional forms of Black American music, Uniting the World One Song at a Time.

Mike Taitoko

Co-Founded of Takiwā, using big data visualisation to improve freshwater, health, housing and education. 2018 Excellence in Govtech Winner at the NZ Excellence in IT Awards. Co-founded Toha, to provide data that enables environmental action.

Nick Martin

Founded TechChange, a social enterprise that has built more than 500 online courses for positive impact, with clients including UNICEF, The World Bank, and Ashoka.

Rasha Abu-Safiah

Co-founded G-Gateway, creating high value jobs for young, female IT graduates in the Gaza strip. They have recently secured $3 million from the World Bank to turn ­GGateway into a regional hub for the digital economy. Previously led high impact ICT initiatives at the United Nation Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Time Magazine’s “Next Generation Leaders” 2018.

Sahar is the COO and co-founder of Kara Technologies, creating AI-powered realistic avatars to deliver content in sign language. Currently NZ based, all 3 co-founders are EHF Fellows and are originally from Iran.

Serial entrepreneur and investor Martin Krafft is a member of cohort 3. He leads a special session on debunking the myths about robots, AI and machine learning to explore the real socio-economic issues underpinning the future of work.

James has been leading the way championing the safe use of Data Science to deliver social, environmental and economic prosperity. He is a fellow from cohort 2 and a co-founder of Toha, a platform to provide safe, high trust data sharing for positive environmental, economic and social impact.